World News: A monkeypox emergency

Friday, August 5

People protest during a rally calling for more government action to combat the spread of monkeypox at Foley Square on July 21, 2022, in New York City. At least 267 New Yorkers have tested positive for monkeypox, a virus similar to smallpox but with milder symptoms.

Biden moves to combat the once-rare disease.

The Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency in an effort to gain more resources to fight the virus' spread. Homeowners could receive thousands of dollars in incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act. Keep reading for some good news about the Great Barrier Reef.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Happy Friday. Let's get to the news.

🌅 Up first: Fiona the hippo is a big sis. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden announced that Bibi the hippo gave birth around 10 p.m. Wednesday to a healthy, full-term baby. And the newborn is also already walking. Read more

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's 23-year-old hippo Bibi gave birth to a healthy, full-term hippo baby Wednesday night around 10 p.m.

Provided/Cincinnati Zoo

Monkeypox is declared a public health emergency

In a move that could make it easier to tap funding and wield the federal bureaucracy to combat the once-rare disease, the Biden administration announced Thursday that monkeypox is a public health emergency in the U.S. The administration has been criticized for not moving more quickly on monkeypox – repeating some of the same mistakes that plagued the U.S. response to COVID-19. Read more

Here's what you should know:

•	The U.S. now has the world's biggest monkeypox outbreak. More than 6,600 Americans have been diagnosed since mid-May. But no one knows the full extent of America's outbreak. States don't have to tell the federal government when they have a patient and testing difficulties have left many people undiagnosed.
•	There's a lot of confusing communication about the virus. Most patients have been exposed to the virus through close contact during sex, but that doesn't mean monkeypox is a sexually transmitted infection.
•	Vaccines and treatment exist but have been hard to access. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pledging 86,000 vaccine doses be available as soon as early next month.

💉 Here's a look at state-by-state monkeypox numbers.

Healthcare workers with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene work at intake tents where individuals are registered to receive the monkeypox vaccine on July 29, 2022, in New York City.

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

More news to know now:

•	🟢 Infowars host Alex Jones was ordered ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4 million in damages – and more judgments are expected.
•	🔥 A wildfire in Washington state destroyed 10 homes and forced an evacuation of the entire town of Lind.
•	🔺Donald Trump's legal team has been in contact with Justice Department officials involving the Jan. 6 inquiry.
•	📰 WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years on drug charges in Russia.

Players with the Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury link arms for 42 seconds in honor of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner before a WNBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Associated Press

🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to the 5 Things podcast, patient safety reporter Karen Weintraub has an update on monkeypox. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

Sinema agrees to 'move forward' on Inflation Reduction Act

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., said Thursday she would "move forward" on a sweeping package of initiatives to combat climate change, lower drug prices, and pare back the deficit, giving Senate Democrats the votes they need to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. Her backing sets up a final version of the bill to be introduced Saturday, and the likelihood of a major legislative win for President Joe Biden. Democrats hope to pass the bill on a party-line vote through a process known as budget reconciliation. Read more

•	Direct impact: Homeowners could receive thousands of dollars in incentives for new, energy efficient appliances, insulation and more under the $485 billion package.
•	Related: Is the globe prepared for extreme heat caused by climate change to be the new normal?

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote August 3, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Drew Angerer, Getty Images

Just for subscribers:

•	🦶 In race to replace Iowa, Nevada vies to vault New Hampshire as first stop on Democratic 2024 tour.
•	👨‍⚖️ The fine print: Why implementing a Supreme Court ruling can sometimes take longer than you think.
•	🤰 Sex ed could prevent unwanted pregnancies. Indiana doesn't require schools to teach it.
•	🏈 USA TODAY Opinion: Relying on Congress to fix college sports is a road to nowhere.

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Already a subscriber and want premium content emailed to you every day? We can do that! Sign up for the Your Day newsletter.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Tokyo on final leg of Asia tour

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there. She made the remarks in Tokyo on the final leg of an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taiwan that infuriated China. Pelosi met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who said that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan prompted by Pelosi's visit represent a "grave problem" after five ballistic missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. Pelosi said her trip Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. Read more

•	In South Korea, Nancy Pelosi avoided public comments on Taiwan and China.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi listens as one of her congressional delegation member speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.

Eugene Hoshiko, AP

Trump-backed candidates sweep in Arizona

Former television news anchor Kari Lake has won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor, climbing past her opponent's early lead and rounding out the victory for Donald Trump-backed candidates in the swing state. Having never held elected office before, Lake turned her more than two-decade career as a newscaster for Fox 10 in Phoenix into political success in part by attacking the news industry that made her locally famous. In nominating Lake, Republican voters showed they are still allegiant to Trump. Read more

Former President Donald Trump and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake Kari Lake at a Republican campaign rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott Valley.

Former President Donald Trump and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake at a Republican campaign rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott Valley.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday

•	💦 Rain aided firefighters' progress battling Northern California's destructive McKinney Fire.
•	⚠ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended a state attorney he accused of being ''woke.''
•	🟣 A trial is underway after a Minnesota woman sued a pharmacist who denied her emergency contraception.
•	📞 Here's what mental health activists are saying about the 988 suicide hotline.
•	📺 HBO Max and Discovery+ are merging. Here's when, why and what's changing.

Some good news: Great Barrier Reef records highest number of coral in nearly 4 decades

An Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) survey of 87 reefs released Thursday found average hard coral cover in the upper region and central areas of the Great Barrier Reef increased by about one-third from August 2021 to May 2022. That's the highest number recorded in nearly four decades, but marine scientists worry that climate change could quickly reverse the rehabilitation of the reef off the continent's northeast coast. Experts on the study noted the loss of coral cover in the southern region showed how dynamic the reef was. Read more

An Australian Institute of Marine Science ecologist surveys a reef perimeter by manta tow on the Great Barrier Reef in Australian waters.

Australian Institute of Marine Science

📷 Photo of the day: Best of the 2022 NFL preseason 📷

As the nation's top football stars prepare for the start of the 2022 season, NFL players are wearing a new contraption that may look a little strange. They're called Guardian Caps and they're part of an ongoing safety experiment the league hopes will lead to a reduction in head injuries. The caps are now mandatory for all 32 NFL teams through the second preseason game — the time when the league says head injuries are most prevalent. Read more

•	More on this: Packers bemoan Guardian Caps, worry over false sense of security.

Click here to see more photos from the 2022 NFL preseason.

Aug. 4: Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rudy Ford (5) tackles Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Demarcus Robinson in the third quarter of the Hall of Fame Game.

Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY. Send her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.